


Skipped

by DarkAliceLilith



Series: 15Kisses [8]
Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: M/M, Underage Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-28 23:10:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21400189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkAliceLilith/pseuds/DarkAliceLilith
Summary: “I kissed Eddie.”
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: 15Kisses [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1396771
Comments: 3
Kudos: 106





	Skipped

**Author's Note:**

> For the [Inspiring Tables](https://inspiring-tables.dreamwidth.org/profile) 15 Kisses table prompt: despair.

Richie slowly exhaled smoke, watching as it floated upwards and dispersed, a million thoughts running through his head and the memory of the previous night replaying over and over again. He put his cigarette back in his mouth and inhaled again, this time holding it in until the need to breathe became too much and he exhaled again. 

He heard the snap of twigs somewhere close by and looked around the tree he had been leaning on to see Beverly walking over. She smiled as she approached and held out her lighter. “Can I borrow one?” Richie nodded and pulled his pack out, letting Beverly take one. He watched her light it and the smile as she inhaled it. “Thanks, Richie.”

“No problem, Bev,” He said, sliding down the tree as she sat across from him. 

They sat there in silence for a long moment before Beverly finally said, “We didn’t see you at school today.” Richie flicked the ashes off his cigarette, staring at the spot the ashes landed instead of answering. “Richie? Is something wrong?”

“I just didn’t feel like going,” Richie answered, still not looking up at her. He was afraid that if he did, everything he was thinking would come out and he didn’t think he was ready for that. “So I skipped. How’d you find me anyways?”

“I figured you could be too far from the clubhouse once I discovered you weren't there.”

Richie sighed, flicking away the butt of his cigarette and reaching for another, but Beverly placed a hand over his. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

“Who says anything’s wrong?”

“You rarely smoke more than once a day, and you never do it so close together unless something is bothering you.”

Richie sighed and slipped the pack back into his shirt pocket. He couldn’t hide anything from Beverly. He never could. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He didn’t answer right away.

“Rich-“

“I kissed Eddie.”

“Oh.”

Richie nodded, still not looking up. Her and Stan had known about his crush, known about his preference for other boys. “I think I fucked up, Bev.”

“Did Eddie say he didn’t like you back?”

Richie shook his head. “He didn’t say anything. I uh-I bolted before he could say anything. I didn’t mean to do it. I had been so fucking careful, but I got caught up in the moment and then-then I was kissing him.” He bowed his head, letting out a sob. “Why am I such a fucking idiot, Bev? He’s my best friend and I fucking kissed him!”

Beverly moved, wrapping her arms around him and rubbing his back. “You’re not an idiot, Richie. You’re just in love.”

“Yeah, with someone who doesn’t love me back.”

“And how do you know he doesn’t?” Beverly asked, her voice soft. “He was worried when you didn’t show up today.”

Richie slowly lifted his head. “He-he was?”

Beverly nodded, wiping the tears away from Richie’s cheek. “If you fucked it up, do you really think he’d be worried?”

“Doesn’t mean that he loves me.”

“But it also doesn’t mean that you messed up,” Beverly said. “I think you need to talk to him. That’s the only way that you’ll know for sure.”

“And what if…” Richie trailed off for a moment, before saying in a voice barely above a whisper. “What if I don’t want to know?”

“Richie, honey, you need to talk to him.”

“I’m scared, Bev.”

“It’s okay,” She said, hugging him tighter. “It’s alright to be scared.”

“Rich?”

Richie looked up, seeing Eddie standing only a few feet away. He stared at him with wide eyes, his heart thumping fast in his chest. Beverly pulled away from him and he reached for her hand, dread filling him as he looked at the boy he had been crushing on for years, the boy he had kissed the night before.

Beverly took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before whispering you got this and standing up, making her way towards the clubhouse. Once they were alone, Richie averted his eyes to the ground again, unable to look up at Eddie. 

The leaves crunched as Eddie walked closer and after a moment, he sat down in front of him, taking Beverly’s spot. 

“Hey,” Eddie whispered nervously.

“Hey.” 

An uncomfortable silence fell between them, lasting until Eddie said, “Richie, I think we should talk.”

Richie’s nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Eddie scooted closer, moving to sit beside Richie, their sides pressed together. Richie turned his head towards Eddie, surprised by the movement. In his head, he heard Beverly words, ‘How do you know he doesn’t.’ It replayed in his head as he stared at Eddie. 

Eddie gave him a soft smile, reaching out and placed his hand on Richie’s knee, his thumb gently rubbing. The touch sent a spark through him and his fingers dug into his own skin. “You weren’t at school,” Eddie said and when Richie didn’t say anything, he continued. “Was it because of last night?”

Slowly, Richie nodded before bowing his head again, afraid to look at Eddie. He sat there waiting for the inevitable rejection, but Eddie just lifted his chin, making him look up at him. He didn’t look angry or upset at him, but there was a sadness in his eyes.

“Eddie, I’m sorry,” Richie blurted out, the words mashing together with how fast he spoke them. “I shouldn’t have-”

Eddie leaned in and kissed him, cutting off what Richie was going to say. Richie sat there frozen for several seconds until his brain was screaming at him that ‘Holy shit Eddie is kissing me!’ and he cupped Eddie’s face, kissing him back. 

When they broke apart, Richie whispered, “Please don’t be fucking with me, Eds. I-I won’t be able to handle it.”

“I’m not fucking with you, Rich,” Eddie said, his voice soft and his fingers running through Richie’s hair. A smile formed on his face and he kissed Richie again. “You ran off before I got the chance to tell you I liked you too.”

“I-I thought I fucked up.”

Eddie shook his head. “You didn’t.”

“So you really like me?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, before biting his lip and looking a little nervous. “Though maybe not the smoking? I don’t like the taste.”

Richie felt himself begin to smile for the first time that day and leaned his head against Eddie’s shoulder. “Alright. For you, I’ll stop.”

Eddie’s hand found his and threaded their fingers together. “Thank you.” 

“Eds?”

“Yeah?”

“Wanna go see a movie this weekend? Just the two of us?”

“Like on a date?”

Richie nodded. “Yeah, a date.”

Eddie brought their hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to Richie’s, making Richie’s heart flutter. “You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to go on a date with you, Richie.”

Richie lifted his head so he could look at Eddie again. “I think I have an idea.” He smiled and Eddie smiled back. “I want to kiss you again, but my breath stinks.”

“We could go back to your house,” Eddie suggested. “Once you brush your teeth, you can kiss me all you want.”

“That a promise?”

Eddie nodded and stood up, helping Richie up. “Yeah, it is.”


End file.
